California Ag Network

Category: Grape Industry

  • Over 70% of Sonoma County Winegrowers Suffer Losses this Year

    Though the 2020 growing season enjoyed near-perfect growing conditions, a mid-August lightning storm during a global pandemic resulted in a dramatic turn for Sonoma County’s winegrapes and a financial blow to the region just as it has with other wine regions across California. 
     
    “No one could have predicted how the external events of 2020 would impact the entire community in Sonoma County including growers, vintners, workers, local hotels, restaurants, stores, suppliers and, ultimately, local residents,” said Karissa Kruse, president of the Sonoma County Winegrowers. She added, “We estimate between 25% – 30% of the Sonoma County winegrape harvest will go unpicked due to the pandemic and fires.  We are also still waiting to learn what wines will be made this year.  So far, we have identified approximately a $150,000,000 loss to growers which will have a ripple effect on the County’s local wine and tourism industries which can contribute up to $13.4 billion annually to the local economy in a normal year.”
     
    Given the extensive national media focus on wine country in recent months, Sonoma County Winegrowers sought accurate data to determine the state of the winegrowing community and the effect on the 2020 harvest season.  The organization just completed a survey of its growers and released the results today.  Among the key findings:

    • More than 70% of all winegrape growers in Sonoma County anticipate having at least some grapes that will go unpicked or be rejected by wineries due to the wildfires.
    • Grape growers estimate that the total tonnage of unpicked grapes due to marketplace dynamics, COVID’s impact on local wineries and tourism, and the fires will exceed 50,000 tons, this is on a lower than average base of 180,000 tons due to the anticipated lighter crop this season.
    • The estimated crop value for winegrapes that were not harvested equates to approximately $151,657,081

    In addition to the financial losses from this year’s wildfires, growing winegrapes in Sonoma County in recent years has been physically and mentally hard on growers, vineyard workers and their families.

    “One of the bright spots in a dismal year has been the recent efforts of our winegrowers to transform their businesses to prepare for an ever-changing future,” said Kruse.  She added, “Following the fires in 2017, the grower community set out to adopt a new approach to doing business which included hiring more full-time employees to secure a stable, talented workforce.”
    After a decade of labor shortages and losing additional employees to jobs in construction and an emerging cannabis industry, local winegrape growers began shifting away from relying on seasonal vineyard workers to hiring full-time employees which eliminated the need to constantly attract and secure new seasonal workers each year.  Today, more than 80% of local vineyard workers in Sonoma County are full-time which is almost a 20 percent increase since 2017.

    Full-time employement provides a level of permanency for workers and their families enabling them to establish roots in the community while securing a skilled, knowlegeable workforce for employers in the future.

    According to the grower survey:

    • Today, more than 80% of local vineyard workers in Sonoma County are full-time which is nearly a 20 percent increase since 2017.
    • Women now account for 20% of the local vineyard workforce.
    • The average hourly rate of pay for Sonoma County vineyard workers is $19.87 per hour.  The average hourly wage has increased $3.13 per hour since 2017.
    • During the same period, the shift to full-time employment has led to a decrease in the seasonal workforce by approximately 50 percent, mechanized harvesting is now done on 30% of the vineyard acres in Sonoma County and participation in the H-2A Guest Worker Program continues to grow.
    • In Sonoma County, just 5.6% of the region’s Latinx population are employed as vineyard workers.

    This year can certainly be defined as challenging for the region. Fortunately, as a result of the early harvest, more than 15% of the winegrapes had been picked  before the  LNU complex fires began and 90% had been harvested by the start of the  “Glass Fire” which was the year’s third major wildfire in Sonoma County. Once again, many winegrape growers, vineyard workers and their families in Sonoma County were forced to evacuate their homes and ranches.  In response, the Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation reopened its Resiliency Fund in August to raise money to support local farmworkers who may have been impacted through evacuations or loss of work.
    Through the Resiliency Fund nearly $100,000 in financial assistance has been provided to more than 200 farmworkers and their families who lost their homes or were forced to evacuate from the fires this year.  Another 40 farmworkers and their families who were negatively impacted by COVID-19 also received financial assistance from the fund. Since 2017, the Foundation has supported over 1,500 local farmworkers and provided $1.3 million in direct financial assistance.

    Additionally, throughout the year, the Foundation has been leading the charge to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.  It distributed more than 14,000 masks to local grape growers for their employees.  It also produced videos in Spanish to assist with the communication and understanding of COVID-19 and best practices on how to stay safe. The videos were used for a social media campaigns and advertising directed at the Latinx community. 

    Looking ahead, top concerns for Sonoma County winegrowers are wanting more research on the impacts of smoke; access to rapid testing to measure smoke exposure; and, a dedicated effort to clean up dead trees and brush in forests and woodlands to prevent or slow the spread of fires.  Most of all, Sonoma County winegrowers await the opportunity to share their wine and region with neighbors and visitors in the months ahead.

    “We are grateful for the resolve of Sonoma County winegrowers who remain committed to their vineyards and employees.  The best way to support our growers, workers, families, and community is to purchase Sonoma County wine whenever possible, and especially cherish wines from the 2020 vintage. They will be hard earned and well loved” said Kruse. She added, “While there will be a 2020 Sonoma County vintage, we are hoping for a long, boring 2021 season.”

    For more information about the Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation, visit: https://www.scggf.org/

  • Don’t Miss Malcolm Media’s Virtual Tree & Vine Expo, Nov. 10-11

    Save the dates, Tuesday & Wednesday, November 10-11th for the annual Tree & Vine Expo held in an exciting new virtual format this year.  Historically held at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds, in Turlock, CA, heart of North Valley wine grape, tree nut and fruit country, it is the ultimate postharvest industry gathering place for regional grape, nut & tree fruit growers and crop advisors.  Nearly a thousand growers, PCAs and industry stakeholders attend this expo to enjoy State of the Almond, Walnut & Wine Grape Industry presentations, Continuing Education Credited IPM seminars, great food & company, and an industry trade show featuring over a hundred Ag businesses. For the past two decades, Malcolm Media Ag Publishing has held this event in cooperation with California Ag Network, Pacific Nut Producer, American Vineyard, and California Fresh Fruit Magazines.

    “2020 has been a year fraught with many challenges, and it has never been more critical for growers, PCAs and industry stakeholders to get together virtually to address the evolving needs of our essential agricultural industry,” shares Matthew Malcolm, Managing Editor at Malcolm Media Ag Publishing. “Our team, in collaboration with key industry partners, has put together an outstanding virtual program you won’t want to miss. Our special online format of the expo this year will include greater opportunities for our attendees to participate in more seminars, and obtain a greater number of FREE continuing education credits in a year where credited seminars have been more difficult to come by. The online format of our expos this year has been carefully designed to be user friendly and not require attendees to download any apps in order to participate. We are also pleased to announce a special 30-minute presentation featuring the USDA Farm Service Agency to assist growers that have faced financial difficulties this year due to COVID-19, wildfires, and other disaster-related issues.  Although we will miss meeting with all our industry friends in person this year, walking the bustling exhibition halls and enjoying the delicious breakfast burritos and tri-tip sandwiches, attendees will be pleased this year with special online features we’ve developed to help connect them with our generous sponsors and virtual exhibitors. We look forward to gathering virtually with you all in your homes, offices and farms this year.”

    This event is FREE to attend and wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of local industry associations, universities and our sponsors this year: The Almond Board of California, Firman Pollen, Yosemite Farm Credit, Semios, Wonderful Nurseries, Almond Alliance of California, Fresno State Viticulture & Enology, and Ceres Imaging.

    New to this year is an upgraded registration system (pre-register online HERE) that includes the ability to preregister for any CE credits attendees would like to receive.  5.5 hours of PCA/PA/QAL/QAC credits and 9 hours of CCA credits have been approved for this event (must attend both days of the event for maximum credit; however, partial credit may be obtain for each seminar attended).

    As the deadline approaches for growers to apply for CFAP2, farm loans and disaster assistance, the USDA Farm Service Agency will also be conducting a brief workshop to assist growers in signing up for eligible programs.  See the full program by clicking the link below for more details.

    This event along with other Malcolm Media Ag Expos has generated nearly $150,000 in scholarship endowments for the agricultural programs at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, Fresno State, Santa Rosa Junior College and UC Davis.  Interested in exhibiting/sponsoring? Visit agexpo.biz/exhibit and give us a call at 559-298-6020 to see what options are still available.

    PREREGISTER

    AGENDA

  • Farm Bureau Releases Fire Policy and Legislative Recommendations

    Napa County Farm Bureau — The recent wildfires in Napa County have had a dramatic impact on the way we live and work and have once again demonstrated the need for better fire prevention practices to mitigate the impact subsequent fires have in our region.

    The Napa County Farm Bureau has consistently addressed this issue for the last two years and recently developed strategic and substantive legislative policy recommendations as a way to create meaningful change in the way we approach fire prevention in Napa County. The Napa County Farm Bureau partnered with UC Cooperative Extension and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and presented a Fire Prevention and Policy Workshop with elected leaders, community leaders and the public and developed specific proposals for lawmakers, which are restated below.

    The devastating effects of the recent fires have created urgency to increase our understanding of vegetation dynamics, fuels management and policies that can help communities in their fire prevention efforts.

    As these recommendations reflect the concerns of our members and residents in general, the County of Napa is already implementing a number of these suggestions and we look forward to continuing to work with the county on these issues.

    The Napa County Farm Bureau’s ongoing fire prevention policy work has covered topics on post-fire recovery and management of natural lands, fire behavior, vegetation management tools and options, financial incentives and grant programs for vegetation management, historic land-use patterns and changes, and current policies that affect fire prevention strategies.

    The content presented in our presentations has been broad, tailored to local situations, and inspired constructive conversations on wildland fire issues.

    Our last public policy workshop concluded with a facilitated brainstorming session to solicit input and ideas on fire safe planning, strategizing, implementation and policy directions.

    The following is a summary of the brainstorming session outcomes and suggested directions for policy makers at the county and state levels to consider in helping communities create more fire-safe regions. Again, these suggestions reflect the concerns of our members who desire to appropriately address them and we applaud the County of Napa for already implementing a number of suggestions.

    The content can be categorized into four themes: Goals, Strategies, Values and Actions.

    Goals

    Our policy work has clearly identified three goals meant to provide guidance to Napa County, its residents and policymakers over the next ten to twenty years. The first goal encompasses the most frequently repeated comments during our presentations.

    Goal 1. Expand information sharing, communications and education of the importance of wildland fire prevention, practices and community strategies. Education activities (in communities and in schools), communications and general community awareness about wildfire issues were identified as areas of concern.

    Goal 2. Have communities, especially those in high-risk areas, fully engaged in wildfire prevention awareness, activities and information sharing. Absentee landownership, which can be common in Napa County, exacerbates the difficulty in engaging people on wildfire issues. An opportunity exists for the County of Napa, cities, Cal Fire and fire safe councils to collectively explore incentives to encourage community participation and engagement and develop effective communication networks that include social media tools.

    Goal 3. One of the most important and paramount goals is to develop and implement strategic wildfire fuel reduction plans that reduce potential harm to life and property from wildfires and balance ecosystem and conservation priorities. Fuel reduction plans should apply the most appropriate and feasible vegetation management practices, including prescribed burning, livestock grazing, mechanical methods, herbicides and other recommended practices.

    Strategies

    Strategy 1, Education and Information Sharing. Education and information sharing was an important identified strategy to increase awareness of wildfire issues, exchange ideas on practices and strategies, and strengthen community / neighborly connections. Members and the public have suggested that fire safe tours be organized for residents to visit properties and communities with implemented fire safe practices, much like a peer-to-peer exchange. Tours and other activities, such as information seminars, can be informational and build neighborhood and community networks around fire safe and other community issues.

    Our policy work has indicated a need for general educational seminars around historical ecology and the role of fire and natural processes in the Napa Valley ecosystem. Written material can be mailed to rural landowners (in moderate/severe wildfire zones) included in their property tax bills or similar mailers since absentee landowners are often the hardest to reach.

    Strategy 2, Financial Assistance. A common suggestion was the need for more financial assistance to better enable fuel reduction and fire prevention practices. Fire safe councils are able to solicit grant funds, but often lack time and expertise among its active members to write grant proposals and administer grant-funded projects.

    Strategy 3, Property and Community Planning. Several suggestions have been proposed to improve wildfire planning on individual properties and on a community level. These suggestions ranged from activities that provide property owners assistance to County-enforced regulation of fuels management.

    Wildfire risk assessment and risk reduction are two suggestions that have been proposed. A need was identified for Cal Fire to expand its current risk assessments, focused on structures, to include broader vegetation / fuel management assessments for property owners. The recent fires revealed the need for wildfire fuel management beyond the defensible space guidelines, especially in high-wind wildfire events that can carry embers hundreds of feet. Strategic vegetation management on a broader scale can slow wildfire intensity and speed, saving lives and improving firefighters’ ability to combat a fire. Another suggestion has been for relevant County departments to actively work with communities in developing long-term strategic fire safe plans that address wildfire prevention and disaster preparedness.

    A creative idea has been suggested for property owners to brand or promote their properties as “fire safe” or “fire ready” much like agricultural operations are branded for elements of sustainability. A branded program would require a certifying body with developed standards and practices for wildfire readiness, something that currently does not exist in Napa County. A branded program could raise awareness of the importance of wildfire preparedness and promote the implementation of fire prevention and preparedness practice.

    Values

    When engaging members and the public, we have asked members and residents to discuss and provide values they are trying to maintain or change, with respect to wildfire issues. The discussions on values have revealed underlying principles that guide approaches to addressing wildfire issues.

    An overarching theme of values has been expressed around non-regulatory government assistance and incentives to organize and empower landowners and communities to implement fire safe practices. Many residents have shared the view that fire safe councils provide real benefits to their communities, but need more support to achieve the their goals in engaging more community members, developing broader strategic plans, and coordinating activities and plans with other agencies and groups.

    A strong sense of community and shared responsibility in addressing fire safe issues has been another explicitly expressed value. The idea that “We are in it together” has made the point that communities can only be successful on fire safe issues if all community members assume their share of responsibility in making their properties safer for themselves, their neighbors and their community.

    Considerable discussion has proliferated around competing values that participants felt impede the implementation of fire safe practices. Other values, such as conservation, environmental protection, and air quality are important to society, but have perpetuated policies and land management decisions that prevent effective wildfire prevention practices and may exacerbate wildland fire severity.

    The policy most often cited as a hindrance to wildfire prevention is the strict air quality enforcement that severely limits prescribed burning for vegetation management and bans the burning of brush or pruning piles. Members and residents have felt that the risks to life, health, and property presented by uncontrolled wildfires are much greater to society than risks presented by prescribed burns that reduce wildfire incidences and severity.

    These discussions have included the issue of maintaining un-managed “wild” areas for conservation or environmental protection purposes and the increased wildfire risk these areas present to adjacent landowner and communities due to accumulated wildfire fuels. Rather than dismissing conservation and environmental protection values, there has been a strong desire to find more balance or common ground between these and fire prevention values with an eye towards more strategic planning based on the degree of environmental value and the degree of wildfire risk.

    Actions

    We have routinely asked members and the public to propose actions and policies that state and local policy makers can make to facilitate fire risk reduction practices. Since many of the suggested policies and actions are addressed in preceding sections, a bulleted list of action items is used to limit redundancy.

    • The Napa County Board of Supervisors should regularly re-visit fire safe issues to ensure goals and policies remain relevant and progress is realized.

    ●Re-assess state regulations regarding prescribed burning for vegetation management

    • Develop a well-researched case or position that advances the needs for more aggressive vegetation management utilizing prescribed fire, livestock grazing and mechanical methods.

    • Road improvements are needed to improve vehicular movement during emergencies and to remove vegetation hazards along roadways. Better road signage is needed to inform residence of fire escape routes.

    • Identify areas of high wildfire risk, using Cal Fire maps, and create mechanisms to ensure landowners are informed of the risk, just as landowners are informed of the right to farm ordinance. This may require the training of realtors so that wildfire risk information and resources are communicated to new landowners.

    • Develop a fire safe program or certification that can be used to communicate fire prevention and preparedness of properties to insurance companies for lower rates.

    • Create incentives (streamlined permitting, subsidies, etc.) for homeowners in high-risk areas to upgrade facilities with fire resistant materials and design.

    — A recent report from the Little Hoover Commission titled “Fire on the Mountain: Rethinking Forest Management in the Sierra Nevada” will support this effort.

    –A National Academy of Sciences publication titled “Long-term perspective on wildfires in the western USA” will also support this effort

    • Develop a strategic approach with State lawmakers and air quality regulators in finding more balance between the needs of fire safe communities and public health.

    –A 2017 research article provides evidence that wildfire emissions create a greater public health hazard compared to emissions from prescribed burning.

    –A 2018 research article describes the public health impact on adults from wildfire smoke exposure in 2015 in 8 California air basins.

    • Lastly, the County can advance fire safe efforts by writing press releases of fire safe work and success stories happening in the communities

    The Napa County Farm Bureau will continue to undertake these issues as a top priority in order to mitigate the impacts that subsequent fires will have in the region. Our region has been devastated by recent events and we anticipate that these targeted policy recommendations will make substantial impacts to the way we address wildland fires in the future.

  • New Lake County Winegrowers Logo Represents Region’s Volcanic Soils, Mountainous Terrain, Sunlight

    The Lake County Winegrape Commission today announced a new brand identity for the region’s winegrowers.

    In the 10 years since the previous logo was created, the region has evolved and matured in important ways. Vineyard acreage has expanded. The reputation of its winegrowers has grown along with the quality of Lake County winegrapes. And it is increasingly seen as a premium winegrowing region with its own distinct identity, independent of its North Coast neighbors.

    The new brand identity acknowledges this evolution and better reflects the region’s meaningful attributes. Specifically, the new logo affirms Lake County as a high-elevation, mountainous region dominated by young volcanic soils and luminous sunlight.

    An additional locator tagline identifies the region as within California’s North Coast AVA and distinguishes it from the numerous other “Lake” counties across the country.

    “We recognized that the winegrowing region’s brand needed to more precisely represent what sets our region apart – the high-elevation mountainous landscape, the red volcanic soils strewn with obsidian and quartz, the luminous sunlight and cool evenings and the professionalism and agricultural heritage of our growers,” said Debra Sommerfield, President of the Lake County Winegrape Commission.

    Designed for Trade and Consumers

    The new logo was designed with several audiences in mind, including grape buyers and members of the broader wine trade, as well as wine enthusiasts and casual wine consumers.

    “Defining a new visual brand for a wine region isn’t an easy proposition in a world where it seems like every wine region is competing for consumer attention,” said Alder Yarrow of Vinography.com. “But the Commission and its team are focused on the essence of what makes Lake County unique: volcanic soils and mountain fruit. Now all they have to do is let them shine.”

    Acknowledgements

    “Growers in our region work diligently to deliver high-quality winegrapes, and it is a joy to work on their behalf,” said Bonnie Sears, Chair of the Lake County Winegrape Commission. “We are honored to represent a group so dedicated to quality and sustainability.”

    The Lake County Winegrape Commission would like to recognize the following individuals for their expertise in creating the new visual identity: Jason Wister of Pair Design, Cameron Mauritson of Thomas Mauritson Vineyards, Peter Molnar of Obsidian Wine Co., Bill Oldham of Oldham Vineyards and LCWC Marketing Committee Chair, Clay Shannon of Shannon Ridge Family of Wines, Alder Yarrow of Vinography and John Hyde of 26 Brix.

    “We had a high-caliber team help us define and refine the brand identity,” Sommerfield said. “We’re grateful for their contribution.”

    Learn More

    As part of this effort to further refine LCWC’s messaging and visual identity, the Lake County Winegrape Commission is working with Wine Enthusiast to present a webinar on November 17 at 12 PM PT titled, Volcanic Wines – How Soils in Volcanic Regions Create ‘Intensity of Place’. Register to attend the webinar and learn more about the influence of volcanic soils on Lake County winemaking.

  • SLO County Wine Industry Award Winners

    The San Luis Obispo County wine industry comes together annually to honor leaders of the local wine community. Typically, this awards ceremony takes place in the summer at the California Mid-State Fair. This year the ceremony took place online on October 16 and streamed live on Facebook. These awards recognize dedication, stewardship, innovation, and leadership demonstrated in the San Luis Obispo County wine community. The 2020 San Luis Obispo County Wine Industry Awards go to – Winegrape Grower of the Year, William and Derryal (posthumously) John, John Vineyard Applications; Winemaker of the Year, Joe Barton, Grey Wolf Cellars and Barton Family Wines; Wine Industry Person of the Year, Amanda Wittstrom-Higgins, Ancient Peaks Winery.

    The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance in partnership with the San Luis Obispo Coast Wine Collective, the Independent Grape Growers of the Paso Robles Area, The Vineyard Team, and past award recipients worked together to vote on the 2020 industry award winners. The honorees are evaluated on their leadership and accomplishments in California’s third-largest wine region, San Luis Obispo County. The Winery of the Year is determined by the Central Coast Wine Competition based on a winery’s overall performance of wines through the competition. CCWC judging is currently underway with wine awards being announced in the coming week.

    “Although the circumstance of 2020 have been unprecedented, agriculture continues in our County and these individuals’ leadership, hard work, and dedication continue to bring national and international attention to the region,” said Joel Peterson, Executive Director of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance. “We were excited to utilize a new format to celebrate these passionate individuals with a much wider audience and honor their work that will continue to elevate the reputation of wines from the greater San Luis Obispo County and the Paso Robles wine region.”

    Winegrape Grower of the Year

    William and Derryal (posthumously) John

    John Vineyard Applications

    “I’m so honored that I have been awarded the Winegrape Grower of 2020 by my peers in the wine industry,” said Will John. I’ve always tried to be a good steward of the land and produce high-quality wine grapes. I’m so pleased to be recognized for my contribution to this amazing wine region and thankful for all the wonderful industry professionals who have supported me along the way. I know my father would have been equally honored and grateful.”

    Derryal John (1948 – 2020)

    Derryal John was born into a farming family in 1948 in Delano, California. His father, Francis John, was a vineyard farmer and taught Derryal how to farm vineyards from a young age. After two tours in Vietnam with the U.S. Army, Derryal moved to Shandon in 1971. At this time he planted the San Juan Vineyard for Louie Lucas. In 1990, he started Derryal John Management and continued to farm the San Juan Vineyard until 1999. In addition, he developed and managed many vineyards in the Paso Robles area. He developed 800-acre Cuesta Ridge Vineyard for Robert Mondavi, which is now owned by Ancient Peaks Winery as the Santa Margarita Ranch. Derryal was a volunteer firefighter for 25 years in Shandon and coach of many youth sports teams. He enjoyed working closely with Will and continuing to help him with many of the farming tasks as he moved into retirement. In his spare time, Derryal and his wife Lesa loved attending activities and sports games of their six grandchildren. Derryal was much loved in the community and is dearly missed by his many friends and family after he passed away in January 2020.

    Will John

    Much like his father, Will John was born into a farming family in 1975 in San Luis Obispo. He grew up on the San Juan Vineyard and worked closely with his father from a very young age. He attended Cal Poly, taking every fall quarter off to work grape harvest, and put himself through school. He met and married his wife, Jalene in 2003 and they have two girls, Quinn, 13, and Delaney, 11. Will started his own vineyard farming business, John Vineyard Applications, Inc. in 2004. He enjoys vineyard development from the ground up. He currently farms approximately 400 acres of leased and owned vineyards and also manages a handful of vineyards for clients. His newest project is a 100-acre dry-farmed vineyard, Armory in Paso Robles’ Adelaida District, consisting mostly of Cabernet Sauvignon and a few Rhône varietals. In his spare time, Will enjoys participating with his girls in the raising of their sheep flock, which they show in 4-H. He also enjoys camping, snowboarding, and drinking wine, of course.

    Winemaker of the Year
    Joe Barton

    Grey Wolf Cellars and Barton Family Wines

    “I am humbled and grateful to be in such amazing company in this Year’s Mid State Fair Wine Awards,” said Joe Barton. “This award is always a representation of those that continue to bring excellence to the Central Coast. I am so honored to be a part of the legacy of artisans who have helped to craft our wine industry. I want to thank all of my family, friends, and Grey Wolf staff members, both past and present, who along the way gave me their best. I could not have done it without you.”

    Joe Barton is the owner and Director of Winemaking at Grey Wolf Cellars and Barton Family Wines. His parents, Joe Sr. and Shirlene Barton, started the winery in 1994, following their dream of owning a winery and building a family business for future generations to come. Joe Jr. attended Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo as a fruit science major and was tasked at the young age of 23 with carrying on the family legacy and dream after his father tragically passed in 1998. He now operates the business with his wife Jenny and has made it his life mission for the past 25 years to create a distinct style, sourcing from dry-farmed vineyards in the Paso Robles Willow Creek, Templeton Gap, and Adelaida District AVAs. Farming is the core of his business. Understanding the unique microclimates of Paso Robles distinct AVAs identifies the best location for growing a variety of wines with regional character. Focusing on making hand-crafted wines from specific sites creates a dynamic portfolio of wines. He works with a selection of wine varieties including the heritage varietal Zinfandel, the classic Bordeaux varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, and both Rhône red and whites. Joe is a past board member of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance and served on the AVA Committee that oversaw the creation of petitions that created the 11 new districts within the Paso Robles AVA.

    Wine Industry Person of the Year
    Amanda Wittstrom-Higgins

    Ancient Peaks Winery, Wine Speak, Dream Big Darling

    “I am deeply humbled to be named Industry Person of the Year,” said Amanda. As the fourth generation of the Central Coast, I am proud to be part of this agricultural community, for many years I have greatly admired past award recipients. I’m honored to carry on the legacy of paying it forward and creating opportunities for others. The rising tide floats all ships, and I’m blessed to be surrounded by an amazing community and work-family who make nearly anything possible. A special thank you to my husband Sam, and my two children Cooper and Cecilia who remind me every day that anything is possible if you dare to dream.”

    As Executive Vice President at Ancient Peaks, Amanda has helped establish Ancient Peaks as a leading national brand. Along the way, she has been a passionate advocate for Paso Robles, SLO County, and the Central Coast. Amanda has also invested heavily in employee personal and professional development, including a successful internship program has helped many graduates achieve professional growth, opportunity, and success. Amanda was on the cover on Wine Enthusiast’s 2019 “40 Under 40” issue featuring “the trailblazers who are redefining the industry as we know it.” She was also one of five nominees for “Social Visionary of The Year” at the 2019 Wine Enthusiast Wine Star Awards. In 2017, Amanda co-founded Wine Speak Paso Robles, an annual industry trade event that is now regarded as one of the finest events of its kind in California. Wine Speak is deeply involved in community service, such as hosting young wine professionals on scholarship. In 2018, Amanda founded Dream Big Darling, a local nonprofit dedicated to fostering the success of up-and-coming women in the wine and spirits industry. Amanda is passionate about local community service and served on the boards of the SLO Coast Wine Collective (three years) and Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance (two years). Amanda is a Paso Robles native, and a graduate of Paso Robles High School, Cuesta College, and Cal Poly. She served as the girls JV basketball coach at Paso Robles High School, and also served as co-head coach with her sister for two seasons.

  • How to Assess Whether Grapes & Wines are Affected by Wildfire Smoke Exposure

    Oregon State University Extension — Vineyards on the west coast have experienced wildfires over the past few years and are currently faced with a difficult 2020 wildfire season. Vineyard exposure to smoke can lead to smoky aromas in wines. While grapes can be tested for smoke marker compounds, wines produced from micro-fermentations can yield more comprehensive information when they undergo sensory and analysis for both free and bound volatile phenols that may impact wine sensory properties. Micro-ferments are small fermentations that can be done by grape growers or winemakers as a way to evaluate smoke-derived compounds in the grapes. See the procedures for conducting micro fermentations.

    Collecting grape clusters from throughout a smoke-exposed vineyard will serve as a sample for smoke compound testing and/or micro ferments to determine if the fruit and/or wine carry the volatile phenols from the smoke — Josh Price

    How to analyze for smoke-derived compounds

    Currently there are few labs that provide grape and wine testing for smoke compounds. Due to the large number of samples that have been submitted to testing labs under the present wildfires, there is limited availability of timely service. If your vineyards have been exposed to wildfire smoke, it is recommended that you prioritize vineyard lots to sample for analysis. The most common reasons to pursue analytical testing is 1) requirement for crop insurance claims, and 2) contract negotiations with grape buyers. See “Further considerations” below. When sampling, identify vineyards that you suspect were more heavily affected by smoke exposure and collect clusters from throughout these blocks to provide a single sample that represents the area. Sampling and sample preparation protocols vary between testing laboratories, so be sure to check their specific requirements before sampling and preparing samples for shipping. Consider collaborating with neighboring vineyards in your area to collect samples from vineyards that represent the area, especially if you are under similar smoke exposure. Separate your samples based on variety, as different varieties have shown different results with the same smoke exposure intensity or duration. Reducing the number of samples to be analyzed will help you reduce the total cost of analysis across producers and provide a regional outlook of smoke impact. A list of testing labs is below (in alphabetical order). Be sure to contact the lab to determine how to collect and submit your sample. Be aware that turn-around time for sample analysis will vary, so make sure you know how long it will take to receive results and plan accordingly.

    Testing Labs

    Additional documentation may be required for shipping to Canada. Contact Davin Potts (davin.c.potts@usda.gov), 509-925-1189 for additional guidance
     
    Evaluating wines from micro fermentations

    Sensory evaluation of wines from micro fermentations may provide you with timely and actionable information. However, they must be conducted in a careful and consistent manner. How to conduct sensory evaluation of micro fermentations is outlined within the protocol for micro fermentations

    and includes the following:

    • Having multiple people (4 people minimum if possible) taste the samples. People vary in their sensitivity to the sensory impact of the smoke compounds.
    • Taste sample at least twice during a short period of time.
    • Ensure breaks of 2+ minutes between samples to reduce any carry-over effect.
    • Samples should be tasted blind, meaning coded samples with no identifiers.
    • Be aware that freshly fermented wines from a micro fermentation may taste a little bit different than what you are used to in normal production. The wines may be more acidic, astringent, and have higher amounts of solids. Focus on identifying smoky characteristics. A helpful tool is to have a heavily smoke impacted wine as a reference as well as a wine that has no smoky characteristics. Wines from previous micro fermentations that do or do not exhibit significant smoke impact could be used as a reference when tasting.

    Further considerations

    • If you have crop insurance, be sure to contact your insurance company and talk to your crop insurance adjuster before you begin sampling and/or harvesting. They will work with you to identify the proper steps in pursuing your claim.
    • If you are selling/buying fruit, be sure to work with your grower/buyer/winery to consider micro fermentations and what threshold of smoke exposure or analytical metrics will be acceptable.

  • CDFA & UC Davis Collaborate to Assist Commercial Laboratories Testing Smoke Impact in Wine Grapes

    The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology, and the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences are offering laboratory services, with limited capacity, to test winegrapes and wine for the presence of smoke compounds due to recent wildfires. In addition to commercial laboratories already performing tests, these laboratories are offering limited services to hopefully reduce testing turnaround times.

    “We are hearing many growers and grower representatives voice concern over lab turnaround time, as lab results are needed to make a decision about harvesting their winegrapes or to assess the resulting wines,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “To answer a need in our world-renown California wine industry, CDFA is proud to partner with UC Davis to offer the resources of our laboratories.”

    “The wine and grape industries of California are important to the state and to our college, “ said Helene Dillard, Dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at UC Davis.  “The wildfires this year have been particularly devastating, so we are very happy to be partnering with the CDFA to apply our collective resources to this important issue.”

    “Our staff members are working diligently to meet the laboratory needs of the wine and winegrape industries resulting from the unprecedented number of wildfires on the west coast,” said Gordon Burns, CEO of ETS Laboratories. “We appreciate the partnership of CDFA and UC Davis as we work together to answer industry needs.”

    CDFA’s Center for Analytical Chemistry (CAC) is offering grape analysis. CDFA’s limited testing capacity is estimated to be 30-50 samples per day, with a turnaround time of 3-5 days, as long as a backlog does not occur. If a backlog does occur and the turnaround time will be longer, CDFA will provide that information on its website.

    The UC Davis laboratories are teaming-up to provide wine analysis.

    While the analytical methods of the CDFA and UC Davis labs have been validated and are accurate, the methods are not ISO 17025 (International Organization for Standardization) accredited. Therefore, growers should verify with insurance providers and/or legal counsel that the results will be acceptable before submitting samples. The laboratories will measure seven smoke-related compounds (guaiacol, 4-methylguaiacol, o-cresol, p-cresol, m-cresol, syringol, and 4-methylsyringol).

    To submit grape samples, visit the CDFA laboratory website for sample submission instructions, or contact CDFA at CDFA.CAC_receiving@cdfa.ca.gov or (916) 228-6844. Price per grape sample is $246.

    To submit wine samples, visit the UC Davis laboratory website for more information. Price per wine sample is $150.

  • Mendocino Winegrowers Successfully Passes ‘Mendocino County’ Labeling Law

    Mendocino WineGrowers (MWI), the wine marketing organization for Mendocino County, is proud to announce their success in getting conjunctive labeling passed for the County.  As of January 1, 2023 all wines labeled with an AVA located in Mendocino County must also include “Mendocino County” on the label.  This designation is a huge coup for an area whose grapes are prominently used in many notable Californian wines, but is still a lesser known region for the average consumer.  Conjunctive labeling has been proven to successfully enhance the recognition of AVAs, especially smaller AVAs, as per a study done by Sonoma State in 2017 on the effects of labeling.

    The MWI Board began exploring the idea of a conjunctive labeling program to improve consumer identification and understanding of the region’s wines early in 2018. Given the strong evidence that conjunctive labeling programs benefit the regions that enact them, a draft proposal for Mendocino County was crafted by MWI. The language, largely based on the successful Monterey program, was designed for simplicity and minimal impact on wineries.  MWI worked closely with Californian Senator Mike McGuire who drafted bill SB1009 and championed it through the State Senate, winning approval by Governor Newsom and ultimately achieving its approval.

    “Conjunctive labeling is crucial to growing consumer recognition, as proven by its success with other notable regions such as Napa and Sonoma.  We are thrilled to have this new vehicle to get Mendocino County the spotlight it deserves. Our wines are highly coveted, yet many consumers mistaken them for other regions and with this new tool we feel we can broaden our customer base and grow the already impressive following we have achieved so far,” said Bernadette Byrne, Executive Director of Mendocino WineGrowers, Inc.
    Exact details of the new labeling law are as follows:
    WHAT: Any wine labeled with an AVA that is located entirely within Mendocino County or a vineyard designation within Mendocino County, must also include “Mendocino County” on the label.
    PLACEMENT: “Mendocino” (if the AVA falls within the Mendocino AVA boundary) or “Mendocino County” would be placed on the front OR back label.

    TYPE SIZE: For containers 188 ml. or larger, type size would be 2 mm. or larger. For containers of 187 ml. or less, type size would not be smaller than 1 mm.

    OTHER LABELING: Other AVAs, vineyard designations and/or appellations could also appear on the label (as long as the wine is qualified under TTB regulations).

    EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 2023

    Mendocino County has a long history of winemaking which dates back to the mid-1800s when the first Italian immigrants settled the green hillsides. Still today, the majority of the region’s 570 vineyards remain in the hands of family farmers, many of whom have lived for two or more generations on their land—some tracing their roots to the first settlers. The deeply rooted winegrowing community of farmers share a common passion for growing quality grapes, stewarding the land and producing outstanding wines.
    Although Mendocino is one of the largest wine-producing counties in California, the area planted with wine grapes (17,470 acres) represents only about 0.8% of the total County area. The diversity of the growing conditions leads to numerous winegrowing regions, each with a distinct personality, and twelve of these regions are approved American Viticultural Areas (AVAs). Mendocino includes the world renown Anderson Valley AVA and the geographically unique Mendocino Ridge AVA, the only non-contiguous AVA in America. Red grapes represent the majority of the Mendocino grape acreage, the most widely planted are Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Merlot and Syrah but other common varietals are Petite Sirah, Carignane, Grenache, Sangiovese and Barbera. Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are the most popular white grapes followed by Gewurztraminer, Viognier and Pinot Gris. This wide array of grapes favors the production of a broad range of wine styles, including sparkling wines of exceptional quality.

    ABOUT MENDOCINO WINEGROWERS

    Mendocino WineGrowers Inc (MWI) is an alliance of grape growers and vintners working together to promote the grapes and wines from Mendocino County.  The group was formed in 2012 to promote the quality and image of Mendocino County grapes and wine with three target audiences: 1) decision-makers who buy grapes, 2) press and trade groups who write about, sell, or recommend wine, and 3) consumers who buy wine.  MWI is run by the Executive Director, Bernadette Byrne, and a volunteer Board of Directors.

  • Lake County Wines Reach New a Pinnacle

    Lake County received the highest rating ever achieved by a wine from its region – receiving a 96 point rating for the 2016 Sol Rouge Petite Sirah from Wine Enthusiast Magazine.

    Lake County, a small wine growing region directly north of Napa, used to be part of Napa County and was said to have grown as many grapes as Napa in the 1900s. However, the 1920 Prohibition brought an end to Lake County wine production as vines were removed and planted with other crops.

    Lake County’s re-emergence in the wine industry began in the 1960s and grew from less than 100 acres in 1965 to nearly 10,000 acres today. Although large premium Napa Valley grape growers like Beringer and Beckstoffer Vineyards established themselves in the county, few wineries included “Lake County” on their labels, as most wine was often blended into that of Napa Valley and Sonoma wines.

    In 2007, a dozen wineries in Lake County including Sol Rouge Winery, established the Lake County Winery Association to promote awareness. At the time, Lake County wines were relatively unknown or reviewed by the top wine magazines with only a few wines receiving a 90+ point rating. Most of these wines were made by Napa winemakers like Thomas Rivers Brown, maker of the Schrader Cellars Double Diamond Cabernet Sauvignon from Beckstoffer’s Amber Knolls Vineyard.

    Today, the Lake County Winery Association has over three dozen vintners like Shannon Ridge, Gregory Graham, Brassfield, Hawk & Horse, and Obsidian Ridge, who commonly make wines in the 90-95 point range.  “We’ve seen a trend in higher ratings from all of our Lake County wineries and this rating is just another example of how wineries are producing world-class wines from Lake County,” said Helena Walsh, Director of Lake County Winery Association.

    The 2016 Sol Rouge Petite Sirah put Lake County in a completely different league, scoring a 96 point rating by one of the top wine review magazines – the highest in the county’s 50+ year history of winemaking. “I actually never checked on how rare that rating was. I tasted the Sol Rouge Petite Sirah blind of course, along with a few other Petites from Lake and two other appellations, so when I scored it I didn’t know the AVA. It’s a magnificent wine and a great example of how good the Lake County terroir can be,” said Jim Gordon, Contributing Editor, Wine Enthusiast Magazine.

    “When we planted the Sol Rouge Vineyard, we sought to grow the best possible grapes to make the finest wine we could,” said Bryan Kane, Co-Owner & Winemaker of Sol Rouge Vineyard & Winery. “When we came to Lake County, the highest rating from one of the Big 3 (Spectator, Enthusiast & Parker) was 92 points. So far, we’ve earned 90–94 points on 44 of our 51 Lake County wines, with the majority scoring 92-94 points.” Bryan attributes the higher scores amongst Lake County wines both improved winemaking and the excellent growing conditions.

    “Lake County produces some of the most distinct winegrapes in the world, and over the years, we’ve seen a steady increase in recognition of the region’s wines,” said Debra Sommerfield, President of the Lake County Winegrape Commission. “This impressive rating further substantiates Lake County’s position as a top-tier winegrowing region.”

    With all the recent devastation to the Napa and Sonoma wine growing regions caused by the Glass and LNU Lightning Complex fires, wineries have been looking to Lake County for grapes. Jim Smith of Case by Case Wine Brokers states, “We have been challenged as of late with the soaring demand of winegrapes from Lake County. I believe the work is out on what winemakers can expect from our wine growing region.”

    “We are honored and excited to have received such a high rating on our 2016 Petite Sirah and expect that Sol Rouge and others will continue to aspire to make highly rated world class wines,” stated Jill Brothers, Sol Rouge Co-Owner and Winegrower.

    ABOUT SOL ROUGE

    Sol Rouge is a family estate located in the Mayacamas Mountains at elevations averaging over 1800 feet. North of Napa in the foothills of a dormant volcano which formed the North Coast wine country in the Red Hills Appellation of Lake County, this land contains rich, red volcanic soil and, from this unique profile, Sol Rouge derived its name – translating to “Red Soil” in French. This 70 acre estate is planted with Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Cinsaut, Counoise, Zinfandel, Petite Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc in a “high vine density” configuration allowing each vine to focus on fewer clusters of fruit, leading to greater complexity. Nestled between Mt. Konocti and Benson Ridge, this aggressive sight is all hillside with slopes up to 60% and is said to be the most aggressive and tightly planted vineyard in the Red Hills, with nearly 6000 vines per hectare in some blocks. For more information, see http://www.solrouge.com

    2016 Sol Rouge Petite Sirah Wine Enthusiast Magazine Review: https://www.winemag.com/buying-guide/sol-rouge-2016-petite-sirah-lake-county/

  • Researchers Continue Grapevine Red Blotch Vector Search

    Entomologists have a unique toolbox of gadgets designed to trap and collect otherwise hard to nab insects.  Beating, sweeping, sucking, and carefully brushing, these scientists have no lack of creativity when it comes to collecting what most people can’t even see.  Yet these collections are critical keys to unravel the mystery of crop-threatening disease, where insects often play the role of “vectoring”, or spreading, the pathogen.   Enter the “D-Vac”, a modified leafblower designed to suck up insects from otherwise hard to get to places-like grapevine canopies!  Recently I joined Kelsey McCalla, Post-doctoral researcher, and Kristen Flores, Lab manager and Junior Specialist, both hailing from UC Specialist Kent Daane’s lab in Berkeley, on the hunt in the foothills for clues to the insect vectors responsible for transmitting Grapevine red blotch associated virus (GRBaV).  I’m so happy to have engaged the Daane lab to include our foothill region in the nationwide collaborative research to understand the spread of this disease.  The research is critical to managing it.

    Red blotch symptoms in Zinfandel

    GRBaV, or simply “red blotch”, the DNA virus identified in 2011 causing disease in grapes that was a mystery for so long, continues to vex the research community.  While tremendous progress has been made on understanding the effect of the disease on delaying grape berry ripening and physiology, we still have not confirmed a vector or vectors, as it may be, responsible for the spread of this disease evident in so many of our vineyards. Awhile back you may remember my post about the exciting discovery by Bahder, Zalom and Sudarshana that the three-cornered alfalfa treehopper was a red blotch vector.  Oddly enough, that greenhouse study has not yet been replicated by other researchers seeking to duplicate, and confirm, the treehopper as a red blotch vector.

    Red Blotch Symptoms in Vermentino, a White Grape Variety

    The Daane lab joins Houston Wilson and other researchers on a nationwide search to confirm the three cornered alfalfa treehopper as a red blotch vector and/or identify other insects that are spreading the disease.  Part of that work includes sampling for suspect insects using the D-vac and yellow sticky traps in vineyards where red blotch spread is evident.  The trap count information is used to understand the life cycles of these potential vectors.  Wilson, who was one of several speakers covering red blotch research progress during my 2020 Foothill Grape Day, recently published a newsletter on his work of the seasonal ecology of the treehopper in North Coast vineyards.  Our foothill monitoring will help us understand if the insect’s life cycle is similar here as compared to what is known to occur in the cooler N. Coast.

    Kristen Flores takes down yellow sticky traps

    And no, those vineyard fall colors are not a good thing!  This is the time of the year when GRBaV symptoms become evident in red varieties in the vineyard-the characteristic red “blotches” on the leaves for which the disease is named begin to show in summer and become more visible as harvest nears and the season progresses. (Note: the disease affects both white and red varieties. In whites, the “blotches” are yellow and more difficult to see).  While diseased vineyards turn red, healthy vines remain green, then gold, in fall.

     

     

    The D-vac Bug Vac, a wonderful sampling tool.
    I spy with my little eye…a three cornered alfalfa treehopper sucked up by the D-vac!
    Lynn Wunderlich, UC Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor

    Thanks to the hard work of those like McCalla and Flores, even during this time of the pandemic (and wearing masks while working outdoors in summer heat is not fun, let me tell you), we will get closer to solving the red blotch mystery. — By Lynn Wunderlich, UC Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor